Breaking Natsuki!
by MissTinyTinyT91
Summary: AU- Natsuki is Searrs' Ultimate Weapon, tasked with eliminating the Leader of the First District and his heir- Shizuru Fujino-Viola. When Natsuki loses her memory in a bike accident, their destinies are entwined in ways they couldn't imagine. ShizNat.
1. Hungry like the Wolf

S'up homies! Hiyarrr- I decided to finally write and upload this story for you- even though Bite Me Sensei is still being written. I thought up the idea for this years ago but decided to change it to a ShizNat story because I just LOVE them and thought they worked with the original idea so well.

Apologies in advance for any confusion that may be encountered. Just as a heads-up Natsuki works as the Perfect assassin by Searrs Foundation under the codename Duran.

Hope you like it- it was a pain in the bum to write and reviews will be greatly appreciated.

Love as always,

Tiny xxx

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Chapter 1: Hungry like the Wolf.

It was eerie. The silence was unbearable as the young agent stealthily made her way through the damp, lush and dense forest. Her emerald eyes scanned the area, her ears were on the alert and every hair on the back of the young girl's neck was stood on end.

_Come out, come out wherever you are!_

Duran smirked as those childish words rang in her ears- recalling the many times she would chant it during a game of hide-and-seek. No-one could hide from her. Her senses were unparalleled among the minions of the Searrs Foundation... well apart from Miyu and the damn girl wasn't in all fairness Human! Duran smiled as she caught sight of her target which appeared to be an underground bunker with 4 men guarding- armed with Heckler and Koch MG4's.

_Found you!_

"Agent Duran: What's your status?" The monotonous tone of Miyu's voice didn't even break the agent's concentration. "I'm at the bunker. There are 4 guards with MG4's- this should be interesting." Duran smirked as she silently hoped that maybe this was going to be harder than it looked- the young woman was becoming increasingly restless and frustrated with her employers for handing her missions a level-C agent could do let alone a Level-A as herself. Duran lined up her sights, she reached for the smoke bomb on her belt- flinging it to the left in order to create a diversion whilst in a flash successfully managed to take out two of the four guards.

"2 down. Only 2 more to go." Duran waited as another guard came into sight before she pulled the trigger again and the guard fell to the ground. By now the last remaining guard was getting panicky as he waited for the other guards to return- he had seen the bomb go off and had sent two of them to investigate and when they hadn't returned- he was unsettling. He knew he couldn't abandon his post but he hated the feeling of powerlessness as he waited for whatever entity to show themselves. The hairs on his arms pricked up as he heard the noise of rustling from within the green- he couldn't take the suspense anymore as he automatically opened fire until the very last round was gone- as was the noise.

He timidly jogged over to the bush when out of no-where someone or something jumped on him- wrapping their hands around his throat. The man wriggled as he gasped for breath- each one becoming more laboured and short as the last.

Duran could feel the man gradually losing strength as he desperately tried to claw her hands from his oesophagus. After a minute of struggling, the man's hands fell limp at his side as his eyes closed- slipping into unconsciousness. Duran smiled in satisfaction as she checked the man's belt- spotting the Access card needed to get through the gates. Even with her night vision goggles she couldn't spot anymore guards- and that worried her slightly.

_Where the hell are they? They must have noticed something by now?_

Duran ran over to control panel- swiping the lackey's key card through the slot- breathing a small smile of relief as the words "ACCESS GRANTED" flashed in amber letters across the screen. Her mind flashed back to the de-briefing before where the plan of the building had been implanted in her memory- literally. Duran frowned as she could still feel the throbbing pain in the back of her head where that damned android had touched her- thus her instructions were embedded in her mind.

_Follow_ _the corridor for 300 yards. At the end of the corridor turn right, then turn left into another block identical to the one you have just been through. Turn left again- this will disorientate you so be careful. You will then reach sector B-4- the room with the target is in that sector- we do not know which. Be careful._

Duran followed her instructions to the letter- she even became disorientated after following each corridor and the bunker itself wasn't that big- the poor excuses for guards were easy enough to take out. Each block she went through was as identical as the next- until she reached Sector B-4. Outside the entrance to the block were 3 men playing some sort of card game- laughing like the Jackasses they looked to be. Duran rolled her eyes, leaning against the wall that she was hiding behind she pulled out her trusty pair of Kahr P380's- making sure she was locked and loaded... in case she wanted to use them.

_3...2...1...GO! _"Hey, can any of you fella's point a girl in the direction of the bathroom?" Duran flicked her hair back with her right hand as she rested her left on her hip- mustering up the sexiest pose she could. She had seen Agent Zhang do it the last time she was forced to work with her on a mission and had been pleasantly surprised to find it made every man turn to putty in her hands. She felt extremely uncomfortable but if Nao could make it work- she sure could. _I'm sure Nao's killing herself over this._

"Er... sure gorgeous... please follow me." The blond Jackass winked at his fellow guards as he walked in front of the young woman- and as he held the door open for her- he couldn't resist in sneaking a peak at her behind. Eventually the two reached another door and the blond guard gestured for the strikingly beautiful bluenette to go in "Ladies first."

"As opposed to..." Duran raised an eyebrow- trying desperately hard not to kick the guy's ass then and there. She wanted to have a bit of fun first- she felt entitled to it after all! "Unisex darlin'...it's all the rage here!" he said with a wink. At that moment, Duran dragged the guard into the bathroom by his shirt lapels and pressed him against the door forcibly. "You sure are good at taking hints." Duran took hold of both of his hands and placed them on her hips before whispering close to the guard's ear.

"You like what you feel huh? Tell me do you like this?" Duran smirked as the guard's face went from one of extreme pleasure to one of utter horror as he felt both handguns being pressed into his groin. "You see my trigger fingers have been fairly twitchy lately- you give me what I want and I may just let you keep whatever makes you a man. Got it?" The blond guard nodded his head profusely "You know what I'm after correct?"

"I...I do." The blond guard swallowed, having two guns pointing at his manhood made him tremble with fear "Third door on the right."

Duran shook her head in disbelief- they weren't making it very hard for her. _What are they playing at? At least take me seriously goddamn it! _"Tell you what why don't we go on a little walk?" Duran pulled the guard roughly out of the bathroom after checking if the coast was clear- clutching the man's arm with one hand whilst the other held a gun to his head.

"Keep moving." She ordered in a deep and menacing voice that proved that she meant business. "When we get to your buddies- greet them as if everything is normal is that understood?" Duran could hear the blond mutter some sort of curse word under his breath, so she took her gun and it met with the man's skull causing the man to falter in his steps. "I said is that understood jackass? Nod vigorously. Good now get moving."

Duran stood behind the taller man who barged his way through the doors where his friends were waiting for him- making perfectly sure that she was hidden behind him. "Ah Tate-kun, have fun?" the dark-haired guard with a cross shaped scar asked without taking his eyes off of his hand of cards. Tate chuckled nervously- tensing up as he felt the gun dig deeper into the back of his neck "H-hey guys!" he gave the two a small smile and a wave.

"Everything ship-shape Tate? Sit your ass down, I'm just about to take all of Kazuya-kun's earnings." The guard named Takeda said with such confidence. "Well? Don't just stand there like a stiff- sit down."

"He would if he could gentlemen." A female voice came from behind Tate as suddenly a leg wrapped around the blonds' left leg causing his knee to buckle and he fell onto the ground.

"YOU?" Both of the remaining guards jumped from their seats, taking their guns out from their holsters and aiming at the blue-haired beauty they had seen leaving with Tate. Duran rolled her eyes, pointing one gun at Tate's head whilst the other was directed at Takeda- "You have something that belongs to me and I want it now. If it's not within my hands within the next 30 seconds my trigger finger's going to be really happy. GO." Duran herded the men into the next corridor where the guard called Kazuya took the set of keys from his utility belt- desperately trying to find the right key. Just as he was about to put the key into the lock the door vanished, as did the entire building- much to their confusion.

_What the hell? _Suddenly the room went back to bright blue walls- leaving the agent and the three guards utterly bewildered. Suddenly a deep voice rang through the arena as a blond haired man in a suit entered. "What the hell Smith? I was close!" Duran growled as she released Tate and placed her guns back into their holsters.

"Sorry about the intrusion Agent Duran- an issue of grave importance has arisen. Miyu – suspend simulation and get your team in here to take the bodies to the sleeping bay." As soon as he had finished speaking, the light blue-haired robot made her way into the arena- her face as solemn and stoic as ever- and she and her men dragged the sleeping bodies of the guards the Duran had taken out.

"What's going on Miyu?" Duran heard Takeda ask the robot timidly. "The leader of our Tokyo base Kuga Yoshi has been assassinated by the First District along with five other high-ranking officials in that district. Kuga-san! I need you to come with us." Duran felt her heartbeat race as she knew that whatever needed to be discussed was serious- no-one ever called her by her last name unless it was really urgent. The agent nodded as she followed Miyu and Smith out of the arena into a huge soundproofed office. Her mind was racing and her thoughts were scrambled and all over the place.

"I guess you understand why we have called you here Natsuki? There will be no need for silly codenames- this is serious business- I hope you understand the severity of what is to be discussed." Natsuki nodded whilst clenching her jaw. "Your father's assassination has come at a critical time Natsuki- it now gives us the perfect opportunity to completely annihilate the First District bastards. An eye for an eye yes?" Smith raised an eyebrow as he saw the younger girl before him stand a little straighter- he knew exactly what was going through her mind now. After all these years of training, planning and dreaming- the plan was to be put into motion.

"You're asking me to do what exactly?" Natsuki folded her arms across her chest- silently praying to Kami that the next words to come from that idiot Smith were going to be the one's she'd waited for years to hear. Smith couldn't keep the smirk off of his face. "For years Natsuki you have been trained and moulded to be our greatest weapon- the Ultimate Weapon! Your orders are simple: you will infiltrate the ranks of the First District and work your way up in order to gain a position where you will be able to successfully 'bite the head off the snake' so to speak. In addition to that- the leader has two daughters. One of which you are to dispose of and the other is to be captured and brought back to us. When you return after your rec break you will find all necessary documents. You will also have a driver to take you to the airport at 7 for a flight to Japan at 9. I wish you the best of luck Princess." Smith rose to his feet and bowed at the woman in front of him who only gave a small nod. She had always hated the man who had been the father figure in her life whilst her own was across the sea in Japan. Now that man was dead- Natsuki now had everything she had ever dreamed of- the opportunity for exacting her revenge.

Natsuki made her way over to the mess hall where she was instantly pounced on by a short, spiky-haired girl named Mikoto. "Yeah, thanks Mikoto. Where's your owner?" Natsuki brushed the young girl aside as she scanned the room for her red-haired friend Mai- however the girl was nowhere in sight.

"KUGA NATSUKI YOU ARE IN TROUBLE!" A high-pitched yell rang through the room as a busty redhead ran towards the raven-haired agent before tackling her to the ground- well she had attempted to! Natsuki smiled as she successfully managed to dodge Mai's attack which sent the girl flying into the counter. "What have I done now?" Natsuki held out her hand to the girl who readily accepted and was pulled to her feet.

"Ok first of all why did you have to use Nao's seduction technique on MY boyfriend during training? Two- why did Sakumisu and his lackeys break into our apartment when I was in the shower? THREE- why do I get the feeling that- once again- you aren't telling me something? I'm supposed to be your friend Natsuki or am I just a general inconvenience to you?"

Natsuki could tell that the redhead was indeed pissed about something "Are you sure you want me to answer that Mai? And enough of the questions ok- you're doing my head in." Natsuki grabbed a plate and tried to brush past Mai who grabbed on to Natsuki's arm. "Mai- if you know what's best for you I would let go of my arm." Natsuki hissed with so much venom in her malicious voice that the girl had no choice but to comply. There was a reason why Natsuki was known as the Ultimate Weapon, she had been brought up by Searrs who had thrust a gun into her hand from the word 'go'- the girl was lethal and not to be messed with.

"Tell me or don't tell me I don't care anymore Natsuki. I don't get why you insist on driving everyone away- you are a good person Natsuki." Natsuki's eyes widened in disbelief over what she had just heard- _how could anyone like me be dubbed a good person? _Natsuki seized Mai's arms and pressed her against the counter "How can you call me a good person Mai? I've killed so many people I don't even deserve to be labelled a person- I'm a monster Mai. Anyone who gets remotely close to me always ends up hurt."

Mai trembled at the emotion in Natsuki's voice- it made her feel uncomfortable as it was something that no-one had ever witnessed. Despite the fact that Miyu was completely made of metal thus was an android- void of any emotion- many people within Searrs were utterly convinced that Natsuki was one too. It was a rare occasion when the agent would eventually reveal herself to be human.

"Ok Natsuki. Ok. Then I'm a monster too- we all are. Look I don't know what's going on- I don't know why people are running around the place like headless chickens but... I do know that I care about you alright? You may be a monster but I know that you care when you kill. You don't sleep the night after a mission. You pace up and down and you have nightmares too. That shows that you ARE human Natsuki- not a weapon like you've lived your life to be but a human!" Mai smiled warmly at Natsuki who responded with a small smile and a gentle touch on Mai's shoulder.

"Thanks Mai. You've always been good to me- even when I bit your head off all the time." Mai laughed as Natsuki flashed an apologetic smile. Natsuki cringed as she saw the smile completely disappear from her friend's face before turning into a look of hurt and sadness. Natsuki wasn't the only one who noticed as Mikoto tugged on the older girl's sleeve "Mai? Natsuki what's wrong with Mai?"

"You're saying goodbye aren't you?" Natsuki was taken back the amount of anger and hurt in the girl's voice- yet she hung her head low unable to hide her guilt as she knew Mai was correct. Mai shook her head in disbelief "Another thing you weren't planning on telling me wasn't it? I'm sick of the secrets Natsuki- tell me what's going on."

Natsuki took a deep breath and pondered over whether she should tell Mai about the latest mission... or the fact that the reason why people were so on edge right now was due to her. Natsuki quickly grabbed hold of Mai's wrist and pulled her over to a more secluded area- Searrs always had their spies and most of them had their eyes on their precious Natsuki. "Mai..." She struggled to find the words- she rarely ever opened up to anyone about anything... she remained a complete enigma. "I am leaving, I don't know for how long and I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to tell you that anyway. The leader of the Tokyo branch was killed earlier today by the First District." Mai's face was one of which under any other circumstance would have been the butt of jokes for weeks to come.

"Natsuki isn't he... wasn't he your father?" Natsuki nodded as she looked down at the ground in front of her. There was nothing interesting down there but Natsuki couldn't bring herself to risk seeing Mai's reaction. "They are sending me over there to get rid of the First's leader and his daughters- some kind of shitty 'eye for an eye' thing Smith said."

"I can't believe you're going back to Japan already- I thought they said you could take some time off before this?" Natsuki raised her head "Mai this is everything I've ever wanted. Every step I have taken, every enemy I have killed, I have killed to bring myself closer to this. I was made for this." Natsuki said it with such conviction that it almost scared the violet eyed Level-B agent- Natsuki always carried out each task with such passion and it was now apparent to Mai what motivated her friend.

"Ok, I get it. Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself out there ok?" Mai smiled as Natsuki nodded- it had always been a bit of an 'inside-joke' that they would promise the other to be safe when they knew there was every chance of one of them coming back in a body-bag. Still- tradition was tradition and they had started it 5 years ago at the tender age of 14 respectively.

"Take care Mai. Tell the others I said goodbye- you know I hate that mushy stuff. Erm...Oh and if Nao bitches about me stealing her technique... tell her it sucks and she can keep it."

Natsuki smiled warmly at her friend- they had known each other going on 10 years yet she still felt awkward at the thought of showing any emotion or vulnerability. Mai knew she couldn't keep it in any longer- after all how long would it be before she would see Natsuki again? She wrapped her arms around Natsuki's shoulders and pulled the girl into a tight embrace. Eventually both girls stepped away from each other and Natsuki turned around to run back to the apartment that they had shared. "See you Tokiha" she yelled over her shoulder.

Almost as a whisper Mai replied- watching her best friend run off into the distance. "See you... Natsuki-chan."

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**A/N: Right so here's the first chapter done, hope you liked it. Shizuru will be introduced soon I promise but the next chapter will be more focused on Natsuki and her past.**

**Love love.**


	2. Reflex

**A/N: Well hello again my lovely people. This is a slightly longer chapter for you folks and although it has a few mentions of Shizuru- this is predominantly a Natsuki-centric chapter again as it delves into the past and the mind of our blue-haired beauty.**

**I hope you enjoy it. I still don't own Mai-HiME- I asked for it for Christmas but apparently I haven't been THAT good lately so all I got was PJ's and a jar of Nutella which is all gone now!**

**Love as always and please review just so I know whether to continue or give up and admit defeat.**

**Tiny xx**

Chapter 2- Reflex

_My name is Natsuki Kuga, I'm 19 years old and I work as an assassin for the Searrs Foundation. I have been brought up around guns; I killed my first person at the tender age of 12 with my bare hands and I can't even remember what he had even done to piss me off. I have no mother and as of 12:43 this afternoon I have no father either due to the actions of yet another glory-obsessed First District dog._

_I suppose that I should be happy, actually I have no idea how I should be feeling. I never really got to know the man and he never played much of a part in my upbringing- that was where Searrs came in. After losing my mother at the age of 8, Searrs became both parents to me- however we were the prime example of a really dysfunctional family. One that trains you how to kill without fear and that hammers in the importance of one day protecting a person you have never met and have always hated, with your life._

_I still don't get why I have to do this crappy audio-log. Maybe it's to prove that I am a human... not a machine or a robot like Miyu. I've been killing for so long it's almost as if I've lost all sense of what being human is all about. How does that make me human? I have spent every day moulding my body to withstand any type of trial. Wind. Snow. Heat. Anything... including emotion. The last time I remember letting myself cry was over the death of my mum all those years ago. I was told that my mother was dead, she died a bad death and I had to be strong to live to avenge her. I wiped away my tears and set aside my emotions._

_I guess I have spent years putting all the blame on Searrs for turning me into this monster. In reality I did it to myself. I would always tell myself that nothing can be achieved by crying over something and that the best way to deal with something is by pushing through... making life remotely bearable._

_Here at Searrs I am known as the Lone Wolf or Duran. Duran because when I was young I remember my mum working whilst listening to that British band 'Duran Duran'- I chose it as a reminder and a tribute to her memory. Also my father had been a big fan of them but I chose to ignore that fact when I chose it- he wasn't nearly as important to me anyway so why would I? The Lone Wolf because on every mission- actually I suppose it's self-explanatory really. I have always felt alone, I have always welcomed it because then I would feel untouchable or unbreakable. However- the fact that I'm going to be so far away from the life that I know here in America- it feels daunting. It's that weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that's making me feel uneasy. I have to go back to the place I was born, I have to start at the bottom and work my way up the ranks in the company behind the cause of my mother's death. I will meet and investigate the leader of the First District, Sergey Viola and I will take him out when they order comes through. In addition to that I have to study his daughters, Nina who is the man's biological daughter and Shizuru before killing them... well my orders are to kill Shizuru and capture Nina and bring her back to Tokyo._

_Shizuru Fujino-Viola is the 24 year old adoptive daughter of Sergey and after reading her profile it seems that she and I have a lot in common. Adopted at the age of 11 after the murder of her Father and the suicide of her mother- she has been crafted by Sergey in order to continue the First District. She is the heiress to one of the most feared and ruthless organisations apart from ours... and I have to study her then end her._

_Killing a person is easy enough with the right training and it was this type of education that I had drilled into me. Sure I had attended a Searrs-style school with Mai, Chie and Aoi- passed with flying colours despite my hatred for it and the constant truanting. No-one would dare kick me out though. Like I said, killing is the easy part... living with yourself after a kill is the most difficult. Every time I close my eyes to fall asleep- I see them, I hear the sound of their last breath and I hear the screams of the people who just lost a relative. They lost a relative or someone they loved because of me following orders. The screams keep me awake. Pacing doesn't help but I still do it- which drives Mai up the wall as it keeps her awake. Despite my best efforts- Mai knows me all too well. She knows when I'm hiding something from her- which is a regular occurrence- yet it has only been recently that Mai has started to ask questions about Searrs. Despite hating everything to do with school I had always been intrigued to learn about the organisation I worked for. I learnt that after years of fighting the Leader of Searrs was aiming to make peace between the two organisations by marrying the two together- however the First went against that and the Leader's son became engaged to someone else from the District. Several years later a daughter of one of our Leader's right hand men was kidnapped, tortured and eventually killed under orders from the soon-to-be Leader._

_Sergey Viola was responsible. He was the man who killed my mother and made me who I am today. I don't remember ever telling Mai that last part as I figured that it was best that she didn't get caught up in my sick and twisted world of revenge._

_Mai and I met when I was 9 and she was 8. Her mother had just died after trying to save her younger brother Takumi from drowning. He needed a heart transplant so they came over to America, they couldn't go private at first so her father made a deal- he effectively sold their souls to the devil- and little Takumi got a brand new heart. They figured that as I had lost my mother I needed someone to "relate" to- which didn't sit too well with me. It was couple of years before I finally spoke more than 5 words to the girl at any one time- 5 turned into 10 and so on. Mai did what she was told in providing me with a friend, she even introduced me to a few of the other girls who had grown up around me without me really paying any type of attention. _

_Oh yeah that's why I killed him. One day Mai and I were walking home from school when some perverted jackass woof-whistled at Mai- he started to get frisky and gave her ass a slap. That's when I snapped and jumped the guy- and smashed him against the wall. The guy woke up and I kicked him again before Mai finally managed to get me off of him. That last kick had been the lethal one and that was when I felt no longer human._

_I felt like a monster. I am a monster. I don't even know if I'm capable of feeling anything anymore. I suppose once upon a time I loved my mum and I guess in some way I do love my friends as I know that if it called for it- I would kill for any one of them... well except Nao because more times than none I want to kill her! I wonder if I loved Alyssa. We were literally made for each other I guess- protecting her was the only thing I have ever really failed at. Maybe that's why Miyu hates me so much- I let the person she loved most in this pitiful world die. I did love her as an obedient servant type person and I knew my duty was to protect her as well as her protecting me was hers._

_Damn I hate doing these sorts of things. This will be the last one I do here at Searrs Foundation for a while if ever- the moment I land in Japan I will have to be a totally different person- even if my aim is the same._

_This is Agent Duran signing out._

Natsuki reached over to the microphone and switched the off and the eject buttons. Once she picked up the disc she did what she would always do- she placed it within a brown envelope and sealed it. Each month she was required to create an audio log documenting her thoughts and opinions before a mission in order to measure her 'psychological balance'- she would then have to do one after her mission was complete. Her other missions had been fairly easy because the pattern was always the same. Get the technology and kill all those in your path.

This one however would be drawn out and she would have to live and serve under the people she was tasked to kill. She had to monitor their ways, get close to them, learn from them and eventually use this to kill them whilst the rest of the Golden fleet would step in and take control. Natsuki had already read the profiles of the three 'big guns'.

Sergey Viola was the Grandson of the Leader of the First District who only got where he was by staging a coup-d'état and killed the three old crones. Viola's father had been the Leader for over 20 years yet he met a grizzly end to say the least- making way for Sergey to take control. Nina Viola was Sergey's youngest but only biological daughter and had just started her second year in Fuuka Academy as a high-schooler. She followed her big sister's footsteps and managed to secure a role within the Student Council as President despite being a whole year younger than her competitor. Even though she would generally be announced as the heir to the metaphorical throne of the First District seeing as she was the Leader's only child- Sergey had other plans for his daughter. The weight of the First District would eventually fall on his adopted child's shoulders and it appeared to Natsuki that the 24 year old had proved to be just as menacing and unnerving as her adopted Father. It was at his behest that his children received a hybrid of modern and ancient Japanese education- martial arts being the main subject taught in the Viola school. In some ways Natsuki could sense some similarities between her and the older woman. Both were orphans, and then were drafted into major organisations with decade's worth of blood tainting their names and both were natural born killers.

Natsuki heard a knock on the door of her apartment Another 3 shortly followed. _Why is Yamada here? He's picking me up in 20 minutes. _"What are you doing here Yamada? You're too early- even for you." Natsuki hated it when people were too early or too late for an arrangement- pushing all her own terrible timekeeping skills from her schooldays behind.

"My apologies Princess. I just came to give you a little something before you really have to go." Natsuki stopped checking through her equipment and smiled in satisfaction- when she replayed what the long-haired shady looking man had just said.

"What is it?" She didn't mean for her words to come out as harsh sounding as they did... as of yet she was completely unaccustomed to receiving anything but a hit to the stomach. She breathed a sigh of relief when the older man chuckled softly as he reached into the inside pocket of his duffel coat. "I know you're just as excited as child Princess. Before I give you these, I should apologise for not following orders and giving them to you sooner."

Natsuki frowned in confusion... in all honesty Yamada's tone was making her excitement turn quickly to nervousness. "Erm... you're forgiven?" Natsuki gave him a lop-sided smile however it faded when she noticed just how serious Yamada was... and that didn't happen often.

"In all fairness it's not your forgiveness I have to seek Princess. Before your mother died, she gave me something which I was supposed to give to you on your 18th- but when the time came... it didn't seem remotely special enough so I waited." Yamada took one of the young girl's hands in his own and within it placed a pendant. It was silver in the shape of a Wolf with an emerald gemstone for its eye- Natsuki could see her name engraved on the back of it. _A_ _wolf? How fitting. _For the first time in years, Natsuki could feel tears threatening to spill from her eyes and there was absolutely no way in hell that they were going to fall.

"Thank you Yamada... I...I really appreciate it. She did know me after all I guess." Natsuki smiled at Yamada who seemed genuinely appreciative of the small gesture... he had half-expected her to kick his ass for keeping Saeko's gift from her for so long after it was supposed to have been given. He took a deep breath as he now had the feeling that the easiest part was now over... how would she take the next gift? He was now 100% certain that if he gave it to her and made her read it in front of him... the metaphor "ass handed to him on a plate" was bound to become a reality.

"This also came for you before your 18th." He handed Natsuki a letter- it had been opened but sellotaped back together. "I recognised the handwriting and swiped it before it was reported. Don't ask me why- but... Natsuki I need you to promise me that you will wait until you get to your new place to read it. It'll more than likely give you something to think about. I hope you do think on it. I'll put your stuff in the SUV. Meet you downstairs in 5?"

Natsuki stared at the letter in her hand and gave a curt nod as Yamada left the apartment without even awaiting an answer. The blue-haired beauty was torn between upholding the promise she had made seconds before- or tearing it open like a kid at Christmas. Natsuki shook the thoughts from her head and folded the letter up and placed it in her bag- zipping it up and locking it tightly. Thanks to the influence that Searrs Foundation had within the American Government, they were able to make it so that Natsuki was able to simply pass on through with her bags unchecked. They knew who she was- it helped to have an insider or twenty! Natsuki took a long look around the apartment- knowing that it may be the last time she would ever feel the warmth of the place- and with a sigh she closed and locked the door behind her.

The flight was long- 14 hours too long- and it was uncomfortable despite the fact that Natsuki had been able to purchase a business class seat. It was just the thought of being surrounded by so many people for such a long time- she had endured it for the first few times as her job meant that she travelled all over the world... however flying business class was now a requirement that Searrs was more than willing to fulfil for their precious Ultimate Weapon.

Natsuki breathed another sigh of relief as the plane touched down at Osaka International Airport- at least the longest part of the journey was complete- now she had to endure the drive from Osaka up to the island of Hokkaido. She had managed to hire a driver to get her there; she had tried unsuccessfully to convince Smith to let her drive herself... however logic decided to kick in and she had realised that despite training her body not to necessarily need more than a few hours of sleep- it did affect her driving skills when she was jetlagged. And sleep deprived!

After 10 minutes of being on the road, Natsuki decided that it was a good amount of time to dabble in idle small-talk before excusing herself due to tiredness- which was true. Natsuki hated flying and could never position herself comfortably enough to fall asleep- however this flight was made even worse by the existence of a crappy piece of folded up paper in her hand-luggage. She spent pretty much all of the 14 hours debating over whether to read it on the plane or do as Yamada said and wait... each time she went to retrieve the letter from the over-head she would sit back down- and twiddle her thumbs. When she was done with thinking, she would pull out her PSP and blow up some zombies or kick some boxer's ass- hell she's 19 after all! Just because she hadn't received a normal upbringing didn't mean that she didn't like the simple pleasures that modern technology had to offer! Plus, when the woman next to her asked her to turn the volume down- it gave Natsuki the chance to work the Kuga-Death-Glare as Nao called it.

Many hours later, the silver Toyota pulled up outside a small apartment block in the town of Fuuka and the driver- Mr Itou- helped Natsuki bring up her suitcases before giving a deep bow and quickly making his way back. The apartment was small- or compact- but modern and fully furnished which was a plus. There was a tiny kitchen with a small lounge/dining area and one bedroom with a kind of en-suite as well.

_Mai would love this place! Maybe I'll take a trip into town tomorrow... shit do I have anything to ride? _Natsuki turned on her new mobile, spotting that she had a new voicemail message.

"Hey Princess, when you get into your new crib do me a favour and check out what's in the fridge- you'll see something I got for ya! Don't sweat it, I know... you owe me one and yes you are now my bitch. Have fun and be careful. Oh and your interview is at 5 tomorrow afternoon- I already booked you a taxi Ms Natsuki Kruger. You might wanna delete this afterwards. Can't be too careful Princess."

Natsuki smiled, promptly deleting the message and making her way to the fridge- Yamada certainly had his quirky ways! In the fridge door she found bottles of her favourite substance- Mayo...lots and lots of Mayo- and she also found a key with a note attached saying "You'll find me in the garage- your gear's in the closet. Enjoy."

She immediately ran back downstairs to the garage where she found the most gorgeous contraption known to man- a Ducati Blue and Silver Multistrada 1200! Natsuki's face lit up with joy and excitement over her new toy- she had read about the bike in a magazine and immediately fell in love with it but Yamada made her promise him not to go and buy one. _Sneaky bastard!_

Thinking of Yamada made her remember something else that the friend of her mother's had made her promise. _I can read it now but... do I really want to? He's never looked that serious about anything before- whatever was in that letter rattled him up... fuck knows what it'll do to me. The only way to conquer fear is to become fear... did I just steal that from Batman or something?_

Natsuki made her way upstairs again after promising her new baby that she would be back soon and after closing the door after her- she made her way to the bedroom with the letter in her hands. She could feel her heart pounding; her palms and her brow dampen with sweat.

"_Kuga-san, my dearest Kuga-san._

_I write this letter to you now in great anticipation for what will be the day where you undertake one of life's greatest transitions. I wish you many happy returns for your 18__th__ Birthday. You have left the path of childhood and you are now on the long, twisting road of adult Kuga-san. You will no doubt encounter many twists and turns but I have every confidence that your mother's spirit and your strong will, will guide and protect you._

_The person writing this letter to you is one whom you have never met- yet one who knows you Natsuki. For years I have had my spies watching and studying you. I see your mother in you, your strength, your determination and your courage- though some may decide to call it stubbornness! I can't express fully how much it saddens me to think of the various trials that you at such a young age have already had to encounter and deal with. Although you shall not receive this until you're 18, you have already experienced the lion's share of adult emotions. Anger, hate and grief. Something truly terrible happened to you which you will never forget._

_And neither will I._

_I am a man who foolishly but totally feel in love with a woman that I knew could never be mine. Her name was Saeko Kuga- your mother Natsuki- and I loved her... no I still love her to this day with all my heart. Saeko was the only daughter of Alexander Searrs III, who is more commonly known as the Leader. Her father, your grandfather forced us apart. However this only made us more determined to find and hold on to our love. Both of us were trapped in loveless arranged marriages- with only one child as a result of your parent's marriage... you Natsuki._

_When you were 2 years old, your mother gave birth to another child. A girl called Nina. Nina's father is the person writing this letter to you now Natsuki. We made a child together out of love yet both of our families twisted it and made something so beautiful so wrong. Your mother was disavowed and you were made the heir to the Searrs Foundation. It was a fate she never wanted for you- who she loved so much- maybe even more than she loved me. In wanting desperately to try and save you from such a fate she took matters into her own hands and she asked for my help which I gave freely- despite me being in no position to do so._

_I sent my most trusted man to collect you and your mother- he was a man who I had known all my life. However as I made my way to my house on the beach- my father awaited me to tell me the news that he had killed your mother. At the time he was utterly convinced you were dead too. I tried to find you but you had already been found by your father's people and out of revenge I killed my own father- assuming his role and my rightful place._

_I have never forgiven myself for endangering you and your mother Natsuki. You both are in my prayers each night. I see her by my side in everything I do. She had so many hopes, dreams and ambitions Natsuki- one's where our two companies could combine and stop with the unnecessary killing (for which I am mostly to blame for)._

_I write only to tell you the truth Natsuki- you who I love and care for as a father would his daughter._

_All my love and best wishes._

_Sergey Viola."_

_Shit._


	3. Femme Fatale

**A/N Hello again, Tiny here and I come bearing gifts of Natsuki and... Drum roll please... Shizuru goodness! I thought seeing as I'm still snowed in and can't get back to Uni I would write another chapter for you lovely people... and here it is. **

**Just to fully clear the air from confusion, Natsuki works for Searrs and because she is the granddaughter of the current Leader- she will take over once he kicks the bucket! Her most recent mission involves her having to infiltrate and work undercover within the First District to gain info which Searrs can use to destroy the First once and for all- whilst Natsuki kills Sergey, his heir Shizuru and captures Nina for Searrs. Now Sergey in his infinite wisdom has thrown a spanner into the works by telling Natsuki she has a half-sister who is Nina. I get the feeling he wants to save his own skin really! **

**A big thank you to all those who have read and reviewed and yes... I know... I don't own Mai-HiME. Why rub it in?**

**Enjoy and much love**

**Tiny xx**

_Chapter 3. _Femme Fatale.

_I have a sister? I've been sent to hurt... maybe even kill my own sister? No, I've never met her but... what the hell?_

Natsuki could do nothing but stare into the piece of paper in her hands- hoping that somehow if she stared hard enough at the neat cursive print that suddenly the words would make sense. This changed things in so many ways that Natsuki couldn't get her head around.

It had been an hour and the agent had failed to move from her spot on the bed- her gaze fixed on a spot on the wall. She had figured that maybe she had spent too long already staring upon that spot- it failed to amuse her or occupy her thoughts now.

_What do I do? What if I met her and liked her? I wouldn't be doing my duty to Searrs... shit Searrs! I'm next in line... then what was Alyssa? I shouldn't have read this, Yamada...no Sergey will pay for this. Why couldn't he just leave me alone and not complicate things. He's still responsible for mum's death and now he expects us to play happy families? _

Natsuki could feel the anger rise from within her heart- she had never felt so helpless or vulnerable. She liked things to be clear and concise but this through everything off track... now she could literally feel herself split into pieces from within. Natsuki crumpled the letter, discarding it aside before stifling through her closet and pulling out the biker suit. She needed to get out of the apartment, despite it already being small for size- Natsuki could feel the walls boxing her in and she needed room to breathe. She needed a bar, any type of bar that sold a strong drink to a willing and paying customer. She undressed quickly and put on the red and black leather suit, grabbed her helmet and her keys before slamming the door behind her.

To be perfectly honest Natsuki had no idea where she was going but seemed to remember passing through the town of Fuuka hours before- hours ago she had a clear cut agenda and objective. However now her only objective was to forget the letters contents in strong drink. She found a bar called Rorschach which was dark, dingy and perfect for Natsuki to lose herself.

"Double vodka." Natsuki found her voice to be hoarse and just above a whisper as she spoke her order to the barman. "There's a word that usually comes after that... now why don't you order again and this time say please?"

"How about you get me my drink and shove the please where the sun don't shine?" Natsuki glared at the older man and her voice was laddered with such a warning that even in the dim light- Natsuki could see the man visibly pale. As he placed the tumbler on the counter, he trembled as he felt a pair of intense emerald eyes glare at him. "You know barmen are like glorified priests round here... you wanna confess I'm here to hear it."

"Thanks but it's really none of your business, not even alcohol could absolve me of my sins so what can religion do?" Natsuki downed the entire glass of vodka- motioning to the barkeep to keep them coming thick and fast. The barman observed the young girl in front of him, she was strikingly beautiful and yet he knew that the girl was one of those who probably ate men like him for breakfast. "I'll leave the bottle but you may wanna take it easy miss. It's easy to lose yourself in a bottle."

The man placed the bottle on the counter and walked away from the cobalt beauty in order to tend to some of the regulars that just walked in. The four men were loud, obnoxious and from the second they walked into the bar they had already managed to piss the girl off. One of them in particular had rubbed Natsuki the wrong way when he winked to her when placing an order "You know pretty girls like you shouldn't be drinking alone? Mind I join you?"

Without even waiting for an answer the man sat down beside Natsuki and shuffled closer. "Sure I don't mind... as long as you don't mind me hacking your balls off if you don't get away from me within the next ten seconds." Natsuki didn't know whether it was the alcohol in her system or the frustration over the contents of the letter that made her even more volatile... but she knew she wasn't in the mood. When the guy noticed that Natsuki was serious, he couldn't help but laugh and edge closer to her- giving her arm a stroke.

_Bad idea Jackass- you really shouldn't have done that. _

"One shot glass please barman. So beautiful care to tell me your name?" The man flashed Natsuki a beaming grin as he lent in even closer and even reached for the half empty bottle of vodka. However Natsuki grabbed the man's wrist before he could pull the bottle away from her.

"Here let me do it." Saying this Natsuki flashed one her most sincere smiles whilst moving her hand from the man's wrist to the neck of the bottle. However in one swift movement, Natsuki collided the glass bottle with the man's skull and left him bleeding on the floor whilst clutching his head. "If you couldn't tell I'm not interested!" Whilst Natsuki took a step back to marvel over her handiwork, she failed to notice the three rather well-built lackeys had moved from their booth and it wasn't until she looked at the barman whose eyes were clearly looking behind her in horror- the seriousness of her situation sunk in.

She knew that she had been in worse situations and she had also been in ones where she had been seconds away from death- however in 99% of those cases she had been armed and she had been sober. As Natsuki turned around ready to deliver a sturdy backhand, she found her attack blocked and the air escape her lungs as one of the goons punched her repeatedly in the rib whilst one held her arms. Natsuki could taste the blood as it filled up her mouth; however she grinned as she successfully managed to kick the main attacker in the groin and watched as he collapsed onto the floor next to his boss. After managing to lay a roundhouse kick onto another one of the men before head-butting the other- who was failing to restrain the young girl- Natsuki made a bid for freedom as she ran out of the bar. However all four men soon recovered and began the chase through the dark alleys and back streets of Fuuka- they were going to teach that insolent bitch a lesson that she wasn't going to forget in a hurry.

Natsuki knew she was in trouble and she could feel the burning sensation as the bitter cold air met her broken skin as she ran. She didn't come out looking for a fight and she knew that if the people at Searrs found out about tonight- there was a good chance of an ass kicking- another one of Miyu's techniques in trying to control Natsuki's anger issues.

_Run Natsuki. Run as fast as you can. Shit... the bike! _Natsuki growled as she remembered how she actually got to the bar in the first place and that was far behind her unlike the four men. Natsuki turned her head to see how far she was from the men as she turned into yet another alleyway. _Three? Where's the other one? _

Natsuki skidded to a halt as she found both the entrance and the exit completely blocked. "Got you surrounded beautiful- no way out now. You know my head is killing me and guess what? I'll be the one killing you. Ryu, Takao grab her arms and hold her steady- Seiji hold her legs- she has a strong kick no?" The man that Natsuki had hit chuckled as he thought of one of his strongest men being felled by one kick to the groin- making the grown man's eyes well up with tears. "Not funny Masayuki" The goon called Seiji sneered at his superior- it still hurt him to move after the blue haired woman kicked him.

Natsuki managed to punch one of the two men who took her arms, her punch was strong and sent the man flying however the other two were harder to fight off as they grabbed onto her arms. "Hold her still Seiji." Natsuki could feel her strength waning as she struggled against their hold, yet something in the man Masayuki's hand made Natsuki's heart beat faster... a silver revolver that reflected the moonlight. Suddenly a searing pain ran across Natsuki's forehead as the man brought the butt of the pistol onto her head. Natsuki struggled to keep her eyes open as she felt herself slipping from consciousness, just as the man was about to strike again a honey-coated voice swept through the air- stopping his next strike.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Natsuki turned to face the woman who elegantly made her way down to the group, her long tawny hair was blowing in the wind and Natsuki could barely make out the exquisite detail on the woman's violet kimono. "Is this any way to treat a lady Masayuki-san?" Natsuki frowned as she saw what appeared to be an amused smile on her face. _Does she think we're playing a game or something? She knows his name?_

"How do I know you?" Masayuki lowered his pistol and in a flash of purple the man was on the floor- struggling and gasping for breath as the woman applied pressure on the man's throat. "Shi...Shizuru Fu..." was all the man could muster before eventually his flailing arms went limp by his side. The other two couldn't believe their eyes and proceeded to release their hold on the azure-haired agent and she fell to the ground on all fours- her emerald eyes watched intently as the kimono-wearing woman delivered a perfect roundhouse kick. The kimono barely even hindered her graceful and elegant movements as with one sudden jerk, Natsuki could hear the sound of bones in the man's neck snap like a twig and he fell to the ground. Whilst the woman was tending to the one called Seiji, Natsuki saw out of the corner of her eye one of the men that she managed to shake off before this mysterious woman came and she also saw him take out a knife from his belt.

In an instant Natsuki felt all her strength replenish as she leapt to her feet, tackling the man to the ground and twisting the man's arm before she heard the satisfying sound of the bones in his arm breaking and the man's screams of intense pain. Natsuki grabbed the crown of the man's head before repeatedly smashing his head against the hard ground- only stopping once she was satisfied that he was either out cold or dead. She slowly stood back up, wincing as she felt the pain from her ribs as she caught her breath. It was becoming increasingly difficult to do so but Natsuki shrugged off the pain and instead turned to face the woman who was on the phone. _Shit I left my helmet at the bar._ Natsuki took a quick glance at the woman who was too engrossed in her phone call to even notice as Natsuki ran back in the direction of the bar.

"Marguerite-san, could you get in touch with Haruka-chan and get her to bring her clean-up squad to these co-ordinates please? I've made a bit of a mess... Ara I appreciate the concern but I'm fine... No just do as I've asked, there's no need to come over. Thank you." Shizuru took a deep breath as she examined the area, smiling as her job was done and done early. However she frowned as she failed to see the young dark haired woman anywhere. _Where did she go?_ She ran out of the alleyway and smiled as she saw a flash of blue turn around the corner. _She must be going back to that bar, I wonder why she's taking the long way though. _Shizuru cut through another row of shops and took a left before coming out behind the bar.

She knew that the bar was a popular gathering place for the men of the First District- especially the ones who she had just killed- she had been on her way from yet another disastrous blind date and had seen a strikingly beautiful young woman in biker gear run from the bar. Shizuru also noticed the familiar group of four men chasing after her and recognised them as the men that had been causing problems for her by abusing their power. She had followed the group most of the way and saw them break up in order to surround the young girl who looked clearly worse for wear. She watched as one of the men was punched hard enough to go flying into the wall, causing the others to get rough with her and Shizuru could feel her blood boil as their leader smashed the girl's head with his pistol. Only then did she decide to intervene and kill two birds with one stone.

Shizuru smiled as she saw the younger girl come out of the bar again, this time with a helmet in her hand and walking towards the motorbike parked in the opposite direction from which the girl had ran whilst being chased. _She's got a head injury, she's been drinking and she's seriously going to drive that thing? Is she insane or just stupid?_

She saw the blue-haired beauty carefully straddle the bike seat, mild discomfort was etched on her face as she reached over to put the keys into the ignition and Shizuru felt now was the right time. "Ara, isn't it usually common courtesy to thank someone for saving your life?" Shizuru smiled as she noticed the young woman hesitate before putting on her helmet. "Did I ask you to save me? I had it under control."

Even though she said it with such conviction, Natsuki wasn't even sure if she truly believed what she had said to the woman. Only now they were in a better lit area did Natsuki see the full features on the face of her savior- one that Natsuki noticed was the permanent smile etched across the woman's face... and Natsuki found it to be slightly irritating. "I'm sure you did and I sincerely apologise for my interference. However I cannot out of good conscience let you drive back to your home in your current condition."

_Is she serious? My current condition? _"I'm fine alright so you can drop the Good Samaritan act ok? Thanks for helping... I guess." Natsuki frowned as she saw the smile drop from the woman's face and saw just how serious the woman was.

"Please, your head is bleeding and you can barely sit up straight... please come back with me to my place and we can get you looked at..." Shizuru was unaccustomed to begging however she was desperate for the girl to drop the stubborn act and let Shizuru help her. Natsuki interrupted the woman with a scoff and a laugh as she put on her helmet "Wow, look I appreciate the help but if you think I'm going to come back to yours so you can hit on me some more... you've got another thing coming lady." And with that Natsuki sped off on the motorbike leaving a stunned Shizuru in her wake.

_She thought I was hitting on her? How inconsiderate. _Shizuru couldn't help but feel rattled with the girl's dismissal of her help, she could feel the anger rising from within her and yet she couldn't shake of the feeling of worry for the well being of the young girl. Shizuru stopped in the street, closed her eyes and mentally came to the decision to go after her. _I don't know why and I don't know how but I'm going to find her. _Shizuru immediately opened her eyes and ran to her Ferrari- making a hasty get away in order to find the girl and out her own mind at rest.

Natsuki hadn't taken the exit leading onto the road back to her apartment and instead decided to take a more scenic route across the coastline. Despite feeling physically exhausted and in pain, Natsuki found the apartment to be one of the last places she wanted to be at the moment and took the opportunity to find solace in solitude. Throughout the entire drive Natsuki's thoughts were occupied with flashbacks to the scene's she witnessed little over 10 minutes ago. The way that woman had fought made Natsuki feel uneasy and suspicious. _Obviously this is First District Headquarters right? I bet hundreds of people living here know of someone working for those dogs... I bet she works for them as well. She saved me... without knowing who I was._

As Natsuki turned the bend she noticed some fast approaching headlights from some sort of sports car. Natsuki cursed under her breath as she accelerated- she could hear the roar of the car's engine above her bike's. Suddenly an image of cliffs and a car plunging into the depths below flashed in Natsuki's head- a memory which she had so desperately tried to repress and forget. _This... this is where... Mother._

Natsuki felt her body go weak, yet the car behind her was coming up fast from behind her and Natsuki felt the nerves kick in as she once again urged her baby to squeeze every bit of horsepower it held. As Natsuki took a quick glance over her shoulder to see the car ease off a bit, she failed to notice the all so sudden right turn quickly enough and so, with all her might, squeezed the brake. This in turn caused the bike to skid, throwing its driver into a roll before both bike and rider slammed into the side of the cliff. Natsuki struggled to move her broken body, feeling her eyelids close and her body go cold. Before she slipped into unconsciousness she watched as the Ferrari skidded to a halt... and a familiar looking brown haired, purple kimono wearing woman run towards her. The last thing Natsuki saw before were the stunning crimson eyes- completely illuminated by the flames.

_Mother... wait for me._

_**Bonus A/N:**_

**Has anyone noticed some sort of trend in the chapter titles? A big "WELL DONE" for anyone who has.**


	4. Careless Memories

**A/N: Well I figured that whilst I was in the neighbourhood I might give this story an update too... just as a little after dinner mint sort of thing after Bite Me Sensei's latest update. **

**Riiiiight so my question from the last chapter was whether anyone spotted a trend in the chapter titles and quite a few of you got it right so well done old beans and here's some virtual cookies- they don't contain nuts, I don't have any... I am a girl **** and yes I'm rambling as I'm tired from staying up all night only to wake up at 7 again!**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated as always and nope, I wrote to the dudes at sunrise- Mai HiME isn't up for sale so I don't and won't be owning it... sad times **

**Much Love,**

**Tiny xx**

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Everything happened so quickly that Shizuru failed to register just what had happened. She had taken a guess as to which direction the young girl had taken on her motorbike and breathed a sigh of relief as she caught sight of a speeding motorbike. She had no idea whether if it was the same girl or not and she pressed her foot on the accelerator until she managed to get a good look at the number-plate and she smiled in satisfaction when she recognised it.

_What's the hurry? _Shizuru frowned as she saw the rider look over her shoulder before failing to turn in time around the sudden bend. _She's lost control?! _Shizuru's eyes widened in horror as she saw the lithe body of the biker slam into the cliff walls before rolling away and she watched as the bike burst into flames. Shizuru pulled up the handbrake, operating a perfect handbrake turn and the Ferrari skidded to a halt before she made a dash for the injured woman. _Elegance be damned- my Kimono's already ripped enough from the fight anyway_.

Shizuru knelt beside the injured girl, cursing under her breath as she saw the girl's green orbs flutter before they closed. Shizuru felt the unwelcome sensation of fear stir through her body and she pressed her ear to the girl's chest. _She's still breathing but her heart beats slowly. I need Youko for this. _

Shizuru ran over to her car and dialled a rather familiar number as she ran back to Natsuki's side. _Come on come on. _Shizuru breathed a sigh of relief as the rather hazy voice picked up the phone "_Shi-chaaaan? What can I do for you_?"

"Midori-chan is Youko there? I need her right away." Shizuru fidgeted as she could hear the distinct sounds of groaning and 'how the hell should I know's in the background. "_It's Youko, where are you hurt this time?"_

"Ara, it's not me I need you to come meet me straight away with that med kit of yours. I'm on the sea road Southbound, you'll be able to tell where I am... and I need to you keep this to yourself Youko- there's a complication." Shizuru frowned as she could hear a faint sigh from the other end of the line.

"_The less I know can't hurt right? I'll be there as soon as I can... and Shizuru? What possessed you to go there?" _Shizuru smiled at the concern in the older woman's voice- it hadn't occurred to her at first that this was the place where her life changed forever. "You'll see soon Youko and please hurry. Ookini." Shizuru ended the call and arched herself so she was closer to the leather clad biker.

Rather timidly she eased her arm underneath Natsuki's neck- gently pulling the young girl closer to her own warm body. _I could hurt her more but this helmet needs to come off. _She delicately- as if she were handling a precious doll- positioned herself so the girl's head was resting upon her lap and therefore made taking the helmet off much easier and hopefully less damaging to the girl's already broken body. As Shizuru managed to remove the helmet she couldn't help but gasp for air as she saw the young girl's face. The girl was breathtakingly beautiful, despite the long trail of blood stemming from the girls head which marred her skin. Shizuru had seen that the girl was indeed attractive whilst they were in the alleyway however it was only the girl's eyes that were illuminated then- she had seen her before the girl's hasty getaway but it was only now when the light from the flames mixed in with the light of the full moon- Shizuru saw Natsuki's face up close.

_She's... beautiful... stunning. No wonder those animals went after her. Please Youko come quickly. Now that I've found this angel I don't want to let her go. _Shizuru gently brushed the hair from Natsuki's face. _Right, I have to keep her breathing- what was the procedure for if the person's unconscious? Jaw thrust? _

Shizuru positioned her fingertips on the angles of Natsuki's jaw and pushed the girl's jaw forward- marvelling at how soft the girl's skin was. _I shouldn't be thinking this right now- not when I am entirely at fault for her getting hurt._ Shizuru breathed a sigh of relief as she could hear the roar of a familiar engine and the headlights light up the night sky. It was rather fortunate that Youko and her partner Midori lived close enough to the coast and she knew that despite the doctor's inquiring mind- Youko was definitely one to be trusted with a secret especially with Shizuru's. The Lancia pulled up behind Shizuru's car and the doctor with her kit in hand came running to Shizuru's side.

"You really weren't kidding about finding you easily- the smoke can be seen miles off even at this time of night. I can guess already but tell me what happened." Youko checked the girl's pulse- it was slow but gradually getting stronger and Youko inwardly smiled as she saw Shizuru had already begun the jaw thrust.

"She was going too fast and failed to turn into the sharp bend in time- she was sent flying into the side of the cliff and rolled away. I got to her as she slipped into unconsciousness." Shizuru could see the doctor frown as she examined the head injury with a torch before unzipping the leathers to reveal a dark mass of bruising on the girl's toned abdomen.

"We need to get her to the hospital. She's likely to have some internal injuries; I can feel a number of broken ribs which will make it difficult to move her and the head injury- that is likely to be put pressure onto her brain which is likely to cause more damage. I need to get her into an MRI Shizuru." Youko could sense the hesitation on the younger woman's usually calm features. "Wanna tell me the complications?"

"It's my fault. I was trying to catch up with her to help her- she'd been drinking and had a head injury... I guess one of the broken ribs was already there. It's my fault Youko." Shizuru looked down at the sleeping girl's face- she knew that she was in a huge amount of trouble if her father's people found out and it would damage her public image too.

"Look I know what you're thinking- I'll give Irina a call at the hospital to organise everything and then we can take the girl to a more... private area to recuperate. Your father won't hear a thing from either of us." Youko gave Shizuru's hand a gentle squeeze. She felt terrible for the woman who she had known from a very young age- she had witnessed the many traumas that the young Shizuru Fujino-Viola had to deal with and had huge affection for the girl she had taken under her wing.

Shizuru nodded in agreement and smiled as she thought of the best place "We'll take her to beach house- it's secluded and the air's fresher there." Youko nodded "Right we need to get her in the car somehow- you'll drive and I'll stay in the back and give Irina a ring. I have a stretcher in the boot- hang on for a sec."

As Youko ran to the car, Shizuru couldn't help but smile at how well the woman was always prepared and despite the nerves- Shizuru knew that Youko would do anything to look after the girl whilst in the hospital. Youko unfolded the stretcher beside the biker "Right, on 3 gently shift her and remember... gently. 1...2...3!"

The ride to the hospital wasn't long at all yet to Shizuru it seemed like it wasn't quick enough- she had been told to take it as easy and make it as smooth as possible as any bumps could make the injuries worse. She had called Tomoe to go with Miya to retrieve her car and take it to the beach house- threatening them both with the loss of a living if either one of them was to repeat what they saw.

"Shizuru- I know this is going to sound stupid but do you know this girl's name? It'll be hard to treat her without any knowledge of her medical history." Shizuru shook her head- frustrated that she hadn't even thought about looking or asking earlier when the girl was awake _even then she had been in a hurry to get away from me._

"I don't, no- she ran off before I had the chance to ask earlier." Shizuru frowned at the memory- she didn't know whether she could have lived with herself after knowing that she had sent a clearly distressed, inebriated and injured young girl on her way home without an escort. Either way she knew that her actions could have killed the girl sleeping on Youko's lap... the feeling of dread, remorse and anxiousness were starting to get under Shizuru's skin.

"Shit, well whatever keeps me busy... when we get into the building I'm going to need your help too. Irina's good as I've been training her but its going to be difficult keeping this a secret from my colleagues... even with Irina's help. Head for the back entrance." Shizuru went around to the back of the building, pulling up right outside what looked to be a fire entrance and smiled when she saw the bespectacled assistant of Youko's. Irina Woods was the seventeen year old schoolmate of Shizuru's sister Nina and she had been under the tutelage of Youko for some years after constantly bugging the older woman. Eventually Youko relented, becoming thankful of the help and enjoying being a role model to another growing mind since Shizuru was now an adult and under a lot more pressure to take as much an active role within the First District.

"Irina, come give us a hand. Is the MRI good to go?" Irina rushed over to help pull out the stretcher whilst wheeling over a portable bed "It's pretty much all ready for her- wow she's in bad shape. What happened?" Irina looked at both Shizuru and Youko- sensing that the two of them were engrossed in a mental discussion as to what to say.

"Bike accident Irina- she's wearing leathers. She's got bruising on her abdomen, deep facture to the skull and fractured ribs. She's also unconscious as you can see so we should hurry. Shizuru when we get to the room I need you to remove the leathers and any other things that can cause interference with the machine whilst we get prepped ok?" Shizuru's eyes widened in surprise as she could already see that underneath the biker suit- the girl clearly wasn't wearing much.

"Shizuru snap out of it and get a grip- now's not the time" Youko snapped her fingers in front of Shizuru's eyes. _She's daydreaming now? _As the trio- plus Natsuki- entered the room Youko sent Irina to the monitor room as the machine roared to life. Shizuru removed the leathers delicately from the young girl's body and mentally cursed as her crimson eyes scanned the bruised yet beautiful body of the blue-haired girl. Soon Shizuru's eyes rested upon the necklace around her neck. _A Wolf? _Shizuru removed the necklace and placed it within her palm as she covered the girl with the sheet before being called out of the room as the scan started.

Shizuru stared at the necklace in her hand, the detail was stunning and she smiled as she recognised the gem in the beast's eye matched the colour of young girl's. _An emerald? It's fitting. Is the detail the same on the back?_ Shizuru turned the necklace over and gasped as her crimson eyes glossed over the cursive text.

"_Natsuki_?" Shizuru whispered the name and found it was as beautiful as the owner. "Natsuki." She said, this time a lot clearer as she felt each syllable roll of her tongue with ease. "Did you say something Shizuru-san?" Shizuru looked up from the necklace to see Irina look at her inquisitively "Ara yes, I think I've found her first name Irina-chan. This necklace is inscribed see?" Shizuru passed the wolf necklace to Irina who took a good look at it.

"All it is is a first name and won't be that useful to us but it's a good start so far. Natsuki... it's a pretty name." Irina handed the necklace back to Shizuru.

"You're right Irina-chan... Very pretty name."

_Natsuki... please forgive me for putting you in danger like this. Kannin na

* * *

_

"_Okaa-san, Otou-san,_

_Kannin-na for not writing to you sooner and for the slight lateness of this letter- this week has been highly irregular and unusual for which I will explain. Truth be told I have met someone who has stolen my heart in the most unusual manner- for this person I have only had the pleasure of speaking to once and it wasn't even under the happiest of circumstances. _

_Her name is Natsuki and I know next to nothing about her. No, I know nothing about her yet I will make it my mission to learn. Truth is, and you may find it rather amusing or indeed worrying, is that since the first time we met a week ago Natsuki has been unconscious... and that I am the cause of that. I suppose I should start at the beginning. Uncle had set me up on yet another disastrous blind date with another son of a business tycoon and the poor man was clearly nervous- he had obviously been told to try some awful chat up lines. As if they would impress your daughter! _

_I first saw Natsuki as merely a dark figure that was being chased by a group of four men. Father might remember one or two of them actually- in recent years they've grown too big for their boots within the division and they have caused Uncle and I a lot of grief. To this day I don't quite know what triggered it but I found myself following them to the alley where they cornered her and I knew that I had to intervene. I suppose I really was killing two birds with one stone. _

_But she fought back. She managed to fight them off for a while before they held her- beating her- and that's when I knew I had to help. There was suddenly this voice in my head that told me that I couldn't let this girl die and I didn't- but in reality she saved me. Natsuki, this perfect stranger saved my life. I would have been bloodied by a knife if it wasn't for her. The next thing I knew was that Natsuki had gone- heading back to some bar for her motorbike. I know I was angry at the time- yet only now I see it as a form of amusement- when I offered to bring her back to mine she accused me of hitting on her! She left on her death-contraption and I followed her- it didn't feel right to let her drive when injured and intoxicated to say the least. _

_I followed her to that place. The one place that despite causing me the biggest amount of pain- offers me the greatest sense of happiness. I saw her lose control of the bike as she accelerated to get away from me and witnessed as she was thrown from the bike._

_I managed to get Youko-chan to help me- along with Irina who she's been training albeit secretly at the hospital. Natsuki received a tough blow to the head, severe but treatable bruising to her stomach, a fractured arm and four broken ribs. After a couple of day's observation- and gentle persuasion- Youko agreed to let me take Natsuki back to the beach house. I am to keep Youko posted at all times in case something happens and she visits us at least twice a day. Each day I change Natsuki's bandages to find how quickly her body is already healing. I live in hope that one day soon she wakes up- yet at the same time I'm terrified. Youko says that her vitals are improving, her broken bones are resetting quickly than the average human skeletal system would and that she's obviously not in a coma._

_We found that last fact out the hard way- naturally. The past four nights I've been woken from my sleep to hear her screams. Each time I run into Natsuki's room I find her shaking, her emerald orbs glisten with tears and she's drenched with cold sweat. Each time I've climbed into bed with her, I hold her and soothe her as I feel her relax and fall back into unconsciousness. I feel her hold me closer, as if she recognises me somehow. Youko can't quite explain how Natsuki wakes in the middle of the night and yet falls back to her sleeping state as soon as I come in. Youko suggested that from now on I sleep in the same room as her as Natsuki seems to respond well to my voice and touch._

_I know you are probably thinking to yourselves that I've neglected my work and I assure you that I haven't. Uncle has been in London lately on business and so he has left me in charge, which has been a challenge which I am confident of mastering. More so these days Uncle has been confiding in me about how he feels about a possible retirement sometime soon- leaving me to take his place. He feels that I am ready to lead the First District. He tells me it's what you would have wanted Otou-san and I know that by taking his place- I would be making you proud._

_Yet why do I feel so hesitant? I know that I have always been crafted and taught things in order to take over at some point. You knew this didn't you both? You knew that he was going to choose me and not Nina-chan. I wish that for once, you could write to me and give me guidance. You've both been dead for a very long time and I know that- I accepted it- but it doesn't mean that I loathe the fact any less than I did the day I lost the both of you. Even as I killed the man who murdered you Okaa-san- I felt no different. Just hollow. I am a monster and as hollow as a shell. With Natsuki being in my life I feel whole. I know I have to look after her now. Hopefully she will let me into her life just as she has found her way into mine._

_I love you both and one day we will all be together again soon._

_Your daughter,_

_ Shizuru." _

Shizuru finished reading the letter aloud, closing her eyelids as she felt the gentle sea breeze pass through her tawny-coloured locks. Each week Shizuru made her way down the long, winding sea road- with a letter sat on the passenger seat addressed to her parents. They had died a long time ago- 8 years to be exact. Her father was sent to collect a woman and her child under the orders from her "Uncle" Sergey- however he was killed along with his passengers. A day later the Fujino's home was ransacked and her mother was found with one of the family's many katanas embedded in her stomach as if it were suicide- Shizuru returned from a school trip to Tokyo to find she was now an orphan. It wasn't long after that when Shizuru was formally adopted by Sergey Viola, who grieved at the loss of one of his closest friends and the death of the woman her father was sent to collect. Up until now Shizuru never asked her adoptive father about the woman- she didn't wish to know anything about the woman or her child she believed to be responsible for her father's death.

Every week since that day, Shizuru wrote a letter to her parents- penning the emotions that she couldn't show or express to anyone else.

Every week she would stop by the cliff, at the site where her father died and where Natsuki nearly did the other night and she would read aloud the letter.

Every week Shizuru would rip the letter into pieces and hold out her hand- letting the wind carry her letter to the spirits. Every time her little ritual was complete Shizuru would feel more relaxed and refreshed as her frustrations blew away with the wind- it usually would be another hour or so before Shizuru would think about going home or going to visit the beach house. She never really felt the need to return when there was nothing waiting for her but more paper work. However she found herself hating every minute she spent away from Natsuki's bedside (even at work her subordinates would find Shizuru even more elusive and away with the fairies) just in case the girl decided the time was right to open her eyes.

She had no idea that the time was upon her.

* * *

The world was nothing but a blur... a mass of colours and shapes- and all of it unfamiliar to the raven-haired girl who stirred in her bed. _Ow... oww...ow _was all that went through her clouded head as Natsuki attempted to push herself up the bed with both hands- inducing a large sharp pain to run through her left side from both her wrist and what felt like her ribs.

_What the hell happened to me? _Natsuki raised a hand to touch her head and found it covered with a bandage of some sort. Natsuki blinked, the world was becoming clearer and Natsuki was now able to properly see the place she woke up in. _I'm... by water of some sort right? Where am I? _

Realising that no matter how delicately she moved was still going to result in shooting amounts of pain- Natsuki gritted her teeth and slid out of the bed- clutching the left side. _Ok, now you have to stand up. _Natsuki took a deep breath and pushed herself up from the bed- feeling the satisfying clicks as the bones in her spine cracked and made standing bearable. Suddenly there was a loud noise as something smashed and something heavy fell to the ground. _Glass? Has someone smashed their way in? _Natsuki looked around the room, scanning the area as she tried to find some sort of blunt but heavy object and her eyes rested upon a bokken on the stand at the bottom of the huge bed. _Conveniently placed bokken hmm? _Natsuki winced in pain as she bent down to collect the wooden sword, heading towards the door and silently as she was able sliding the door open. Natsuki poked her head around the corner, her emerald orbs scanning her surroundings and seeing what appeared to be a rather large rock on the wooden floor surrounded by shards of glass- the huge window had been completely smashed.

Natsuki quickly pulled her head back from around the corner at the sound of a rather gruff and shrill woman's voice. "Who does that Bubuzuke woman think she is? _Clean up squad?_ If it wasn't for us she'll be up shit creek without a puddle you know?"

"It's 'paddle' Haruka-chan and I'm sure Fujino-san greatly appreciates the work we do so calm down." Natsuki looked around for the owner of the soft mousy voice and found the owner to be matching that description. The messy brown-haired bespectacled woman was clutching a briefcase and examining the area "I'm sure we could have just waited Haruka-chan instead of breaking in."

The blonde haired woman who Natsuki had learnt was called Haruka scoffed and sat cross-legged and arms folded on the tabletop. "Yukino, the damned woman wouldn't answer my calls and for all we know she could have died or something... and she isn't even here so we may as well wait."

"It's that time of week Haruka- you know she never answers her phone or lets visitors in." Yukino sighed. She and Haruka were aware of the little ritual that their boss did each week- they didn't know the particulars of it and each time Haruka would ask all Haruka received was a smile or a pat on the shoulder. This would then send Haruka into one of her little bouts of rage until someone deemed it necessary to knock the woman out.

Natsuki looked at the two women talking amongst them whilst only being able to pick up the odd word, concluding that they were talking Japanese and she could make it downstairs without being seen or heard. She tiptoed down each step, the bokken ready and poised in her grasp. There was a dull throbbing in her head which she was finding difficult to ignore as her vision got blurry with each step and yet she continued her way down.

"Huh... that noise sounds like Fujino-san's car." The brown and messy-haired woman gazed at the front door as her companion marched off towards it. _Like hell I'm letting you get away Blondie_. Natsuki decided that there wasn't much point in beating round the bush and decided to jump the last 5 steps of the staircase- causing a strong vibration to shoot up her body along with jolts of nigh-unbearable agony through her head.

"Stay back Blondie or I swear to God I'll... I swear I... Why are there butterflies? Lots of...pretty" Natsuki blinked, trying to make some sort of sense as to why there were dozens of pink and purple butterflies fluttering round the blue-haired assassin. Whilst she was following each one, Haruka and Yukino could do nothing but stare in bewilderment at the younger girl in front of them who seemed to be babbling to herself in English.

"Haruka-chan... what is she talking about? Something about butterflies?" Haruka shrugged her shoulders and rested her clenched fists on her hips. "I have no idea... but I think she called me Blondie now I'm going to have to hurt her."

_Oh wow, now my head's really spinning... wait where did the butterflies go? _Natsuki frowned as one by one the pretty butterflies started to just disappear into pink sparkles _Huh... that's really pretty actually. _"Aww... now they're gone... Blondie you scared them away."

"Oh she definitely called me Blondie again Yukino." Yukino realised that she was helpless in trying to stop her blonde-haired friend from chasing the mysterious girl- who from what she could gather was wearing one of her boss' t-shirts- around the living room. "Haruka-chan... the door!"

Shizuru had pulled up into the driveway when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket "Youko-chan? What can I do for you?"

"_Not much, just awaiting your daily update on the patient... how's she doing?" _Shizuru sighed as she fell back against the seat "She was the same this morning... she had another nightmare last night and I was able to calm her down but..."

"_Hmm? But... what?" _

Shizuru closed her eyes and took a deep breath- desperately trying to find the right words and clump them together in a barely coherent sentence. "Each time she has her nightmares she... she wakes up and she just stares at me like she can see straight through me. Each time I think that she's finally woken up and my hopes are crushed each time... I don't know Youko. I have spoken with her once and now I'm terrified of letting this perfect stranger go."

"_Shizuru-san I think that what you need to do now is get out of that car and check on our patient. As you said she is a stranger to us and yet I feel as if it's your presence that is actually helping Natsuki-san recover. You said yourself that she wakes up and responds to you. Why do you think I suggested sleeping in the same room as her? Go in there and check on her as you would usually do and I'll be with you in a few hours." _

Before Shizuru even had the chance to say Goodbye she heard the cut off tone... and then she remembered why. _Ah yes- Midori-chan was sent away a week ago. She must be coming back today. Best check on my patient. Did I just hear something smash from inside?_

Shizuru slammed the door of the car shut and raced inside where she found an embarrassed and cowering Yukino, a guilty looking Haruka surrounded by a pile of shattered glass and the piece de resistance... an unconscious Natsuki clutching Shizuru's bokken.

"Haruka-chan why is my friend lying unconscious on the floor? And what happened to my glass door?"

"You weren't in and this 'friend' of yours came down with the stick and started blabbering in English- she kept calling me Blondie and we gathered she must have been high. She started acting weirder so... I hit her with the stick." Haruka frowned as Shizuru bent down next to the injured girl who had already started to come round as Shizuru gently brushed the younger girl's cheek. She remembered that the first time Natsuki had spoken to her, the girl spoke in perfect Japanese and yet as Natsuki began to stir she still seemed disorientated. "Natsuki, can you open your eyes for me please?"

Shizuru smiled as the viridian eyes stared up at her own, "Do you know what country you are in?" Shizuru couldn't help but smile as she heard Haruka crudely ask 'What the hell is that bubuzuke on about?' and receive a swift whack on the arm from Yukino in response. _Those two... really? I always knew Yukino wore the trousers. _Soon Shizuru's attention was drawn back to the coughing girl on the floor. "Haruka, can you help me lift Natsuki onto the sofa please? I need to sit her up." Even though she certainly groaned about being roped into helping a complete stranger- Haruka grabbed hold of the raven-haired girl's legs and carried her over to the sofa with Shizuru wrapping her arms around Natsuki's waist from behind.

"C-cold... fr-freezing." Shizuru's eyes widened in shock as she was rendered speechless by the girl's husky, yet deeply alluring voice- especially as once again Natsuki had switched from English to flawless Japanese with no hint of an accent. "I'll... erm... a blanket. Wait right there."

"Where the hell else is she going to go?" Shizuru barely made out the slight dig made by the blonde haired woman in her living room as she raced up the stairs to bring down the extra blanket from Natsuki's bed. _Hmm... Natsuki's and my bed technically and I could definitely get used to that idea. _As Shizuru ran back downstairs she draped the blanket over the shivering girl. "Are you tucking me in?" Natsuki tried to wink but ended up blinking causing both her and Shizuru to giggle as they were the only two to even hear what was said. "If Natsuki wants me to tuck her in all she needs to do is ask."

"Where the hell am I? What happened to me?" Natsuki tried once more to pull herself up as she all of a sudden felt a rush of paranoia take hold. "Natsuki, please lie back down and try to be calm. You're in Fuuka, in Japan and um... you lost control of your motorbike along the coastal highway and you skidded into the cliff face. I... I followed you and had a friend look you over then we brought you here to this little beach-house."

Natsuki's face twisted in confusion "I have a motorbike and I'm in... Japan? Wait a second what... what year is this?"

"It's... spring in 2010 Natsuki. What year do you remember it as?"

"I don't know. Last thing I remember is Mai's 16th and that was two years ago I think. Can I have some water please?" Yukino, who was listening close enough to hear the request, scarpered off towards the kitchen to fetch some water for the young girl who by know she believed wasn't quite a friend to Shizuru as her boss had claimed. "Thank You Yukino. So, you are the same age as this Mai person?"

"You know you ask a lot of questions- especially to someone like me who has been asleep for what feels like an eternity... but no. I'm older by a year so I guess I'm 19 and 20 in the summer." Natsuki didn't know how much she felt comfortable in sharing with the strikingly beautiful brunette in front of her and so she vowed to reveal as little as she thought possible about her life at Searrs across the Ocean- something made easier after losing the last two years of her memory.

"It feels like forever for me. I'd like nothing more than to introduce myself properly seeing as- and these are Doctor Sagisawa's orders- you will be staying with me until you are properly better. My name is Shizuru Fujino and these are my associates Yukino and Haruka." Yukino and Haruka glanced at each other- both utterly confused and suspicious as to why their boss withheld her adoptive last name- a name that many would be honoured to share.

"Natsuki... Kruger. Natsuki Kruger." Natsuki shook the extended hand and all of sudden felt a sudden surge of electricity run through her body as their hands met. She wasn't entirely sure where the fake surname had come from and yet it just popped into her head as if she had been calling herself it for years.

"Well, it's a pleasure to finally get to meet you Natsuki Kruger." _A pleasure indeed. _


End file.
